Aquatic Love
by iloveromance
Summary: When Niles and Daphne embark on a trip to the Seattle Aquarium, it brings them closer together both romantically and intellectually. And they realize that the impending birth of their first child will bring a world of new experiences. A continuation of Kristen3's wonderful story "Otter Love" written as a birthday present!
1. Chapter 1

_**Sorry for the long A/N…This is a birthday story for Kristen3 who encouraged me several times to write a sequel to her "Otter Love" story (that she wrote for me since I LOVE sea otters!). Once I started writing this story about one of my favorite places in Seattle, I found that it has been incredibly fun to write, especially since I've been a volunteer at the Seattle Aquarium since 1998! Because the aquarium looks SO different now than it did back then, I went "back in time" to the way it used to be for this story. It's a much cooler place to visit now! BTW, any negative comments about the aquarium are just for the story purposes.=)**_

Niles felt somewhat victorious when he pulled the car into the parking space on Alaskan way. It was still early but it wouldn't be too long before people would start to arrive and eventually spend precious time driving the length of the street only for a parking space, only to give up in frustration. And given Daphne's current state, she was already under enough stress. She still had several months to go before their first child would be born but she tired easily and needed her rest.

A trip downtown to the Seattle Aquarium seemed tiring in itself, having to deal with both traffic and tourists. But he had promised her that they would visit and today seemed like the perfect time. It was a lovely spring morning, a rare one that was free of rain and began with a promising, beautiful sunrise. They awoke early that morning, eager to be among the first to arrive.

After a quick but filing breakfast, they jumped in the car and began their journey. As they drove, Niles was amazed that the traffic was light, and they arrived in downtown Seattle much earlier than expected. It was as though the Gods knew how to make Daphne happy, just as they had made him happy by bringing her to him.

He opened the car door, feeling a bit apprehensive when he noticed the viaduct freeway overhead. Should a sudden earthquake occur (the 'big one' as it had been predicted for years), the entire freeway could come crashing down and-

"Niles, are you all right?"

He jumped in surprise at the touch of Daphne's hand on his forearm, and he looked at her, trying to calm his shaking body.

"Sweetheart what is it?"

"N-nothing… I…"

"Well come on!" She said her worried mood suddenly gone. "You know how I hate crowds and the aquarium is going to open in a few minutes!"

Niles climbed out of the car and went to her, taking her hand to help her. From that moment on, their fingers remained entwined.

They reached the crosswalk, waiting for their turn to cross the busy Alaskan Way and Niles stared at the aquarium before him in awe. It was true that he hadn't been here in years. He and Frasier were children on their last visit, sharing a weekend outing with his mom and dad but seeing it from a different perspective; he was amazed at how much it had changed.

As a boy it seemed larger than life but now he appreciated the wooden structure that housed it. It was even more beautiful now than he remembered, with the giant "59" painted on the front, signifying that they were indeed about to embark on Pier 59. He could only imagine how different it must be inside.

Suddenly he felt her tugging at his hand. "Niles, come on! The light won't stay green forever!"

He sighed, wondering why, since they'd left the Montana, he'd been so distracted. It wasn't fair to Daphne, or to himself. He relished this time alone with her, the woman he loved so deeply, and he didn't want to miss a moment. And so he vowed at that second to be attentive, loving and supportive as he showed Daphne the time of her life.

Perhaps in the process he would be able to relieve some of his childhood.


	2. Chapter 2

Their hands still joined, they crossed the street until they arrived at the breezeway. Niles looked at the adjoining Omni Dome movie theatre (where movies were shown on a screen that was larger than life) and smiled.

"You know, after we finish our visit to the aquarium, it might be fun to see a movie. It's been a long time since we've done so. And look, the movie about the eruption of Mount St Helens is playing and it's supposed to be very educational. Of course given that it was such a huge disaster, it could also prove to be a bit scary. And in that case, I'd be more than happy to comfort you, my love. I promise I'll keep you safe. Or we don't even have to watch the movie at all, if you know what I mean… two people in love in a darkened theatre…"

She laughed and kissed him softly, resting her hand on his cheek. "You're sweet, Niles and it sounds lovely, but not today. I think I'd much rather just enjoy the aquarium. The idea of watching a volcano erupt just doesn't sound very relaxing. And our child…"

"Oh right, now insensitive of me! Daphne, I'm sorry! I would never do anything to traumatize our unborn child." Niles said, suddenly ashamed that he had even suggested it. What was he thinking? Now she was certain to be angry with him and their wonderful day would be ruined before it even began.

"I'm so sorry." He said again. "If you want to leave, it's perfectly all right with me." He sighed deeply, not really knowing why he was so upset but he wanted this day to be perfect. Seconds later, he felt her arms around him and he turned to face her. To his surprise she was smiling.

"It's all right. And the movie sounds wonderful. I promise after the baby is born and we get a night to ourselves, we'll go and see that movie. It looks interesting and I love learning about things that happened in Washington State. I'm sorry if I was so abrupt with you, Darling. Now come on, let's go inside." She kissed him deeply, making him feel as though he could fly and they headed for the entrance.

When they arrived, he was surprised to find that there was no line at all and the aquarium had only opened a few minutes prior.

"Two adults please." He said to the ticket seller as he started to hand over his credit card. But when he was given the total amount, Niles' eyes widened and he drew the card back. "I-I'm sorry… What?". "Sir, are you all right?"

"Niles? What's wrong?" Daphne was asking.

"N-nothing." Niles lied. He turned to the ticket seller. "H-how much did you say the total was?"

The ticket agent repeated the total, but Niles simply stood there in shock. The words were lost on him and he tried to let the total sink in. He knew that the price would certainly be worth it, but he was astonished to see how drastically the price had risen since he'd last been here. It was over four times the original amount. Even as a boy he took careful notice of the price of things. He knew his parents didn't have a lot of money and although at his young age, he wasn't able to contribute to the Crane household fund, he could certainly pay attention to the things around him.

"Niles, what's wrong?" Daphne asked again. "Are you all right? If you're afraid…"

"N-no. I'm not." He said firmly. "I just… I didn't realize that it was going to be so expensive."

To his relief she pulled him aside and smiled at the ticket seller. "Will you give us a minute, please?" And then she turned to Niles.

"Sweetheart, please don't feel bad. I appreciate you doing this for me but if it makes you uncomfortable, we can go home if you like."

He looked into her beautiful brown eyes, seeing the love that she had for him there. And then his eyes fell to her stomach, where their unborn child was growing every day, soon to make his or her appearance into the world. His heart fluttered at the thought that there would soon be three of them and someday they would be standing in this very line, holding hands with their son or daughter. He smiled at his wife and squeezed her hand, turning his attention to the ticket seller.

"I'm so sorry for causing a delay. I'm sure you have other people in line behind us." But the ticket seller was unfazed, choosing to pass the time by reading a brochure for the aquarium exhibits, which Niles gathered, he'd probably memorized by now.

With a renewed sense of determination, Niles handed the man his credit card and smiled. "Two please."

The ticket seller ran the credit card and gave Niles his tickets and the receipt.

And as they made their way toward the entrance, Niles felt his pulse increase. He could hardly wait to share this experience with the woman he loved deeper than the deepest ocean.


End file.
